Tensions flare up at board meeting

Wednesday

Jan 18, 2012 at 12:01 AM

LODI - More than two-thirds of the Lodi Middle School teaching staff stood in front of the Lodi Unified Board of Trustees on Tuesday night as teachers union President Jeff Johnston requested trustees recognize the school has become a place of "distrust and suspicion" between staff and the school's administration.

Keith Reid

LODI - More than two-thirds of the Lodi Middle School teaching staff stood in front of the Lodi Unified Board of Trustees on Tuesday night as teachers union President Jeff Johnston requested trustees recognize the school has become a place of "distrust and suspicion" between staff and the school's administration.

The teachers wore green ribbons that said "Be a buddy, not a bully" as they stood together in support of a colleague, teacher Jon Lapachet, who was placed under citizen's arrest by the school's vice principal, Lurdes Rosales, in December.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office dismissed the charges last week.

Teachers at Lodi Unified were angered when Principal Patricia Lingerfelt publicly supported Rosales, calling her decision to have the teacher arrested an act of courage akin to that of a civil rights leader.

To counter, eight parents attended the meeting in support of Lingerfelt, calling her a caring, hardworking principal who wants the best for children. None of them provided a supporting testimony for Rosales.

Lapachet's arrest came after he allegedly bumped into Rosales during a physical education class on Dec. 19. Rosales had him arrested the following day. The incident is the latest instance in a three-year battle between the teaching staff and administrators at Lodi Middle School, Johnston said.

Teachers say there needs to be change, one way or the other.

"Either there will be a change in administration or there will be a mass exodus of teachers," said Sherry Alexander, a teacher of 19 years at Lodi Middle and the school's union representative.

"Nobody's going to remember that test scores at Lodi Middle School went up 15 points this last year. They're just going to remember this embarrassing moment," Alexander said. "It's been a downward spiral."

Parents urged trustees to recognize that there are two sides to every story. Neither Lingerfelt or Rosales was in attendance Tuesday, and neither could be reached for comment.

"We're asking you to weigh both sides," parent Jana Kahler said. "I know the union sees the teaching staff as being perfect as a whole, but that's not the reality. It takes two to tango."

Trustees did not respond to the Lodi Middle School situation, as is typical for personnel issues.

Trustee Bonnie Cassel did ask that the district's investigation into the matter be done in a thorough manner.